#NeverForget: Five Veterans share impact 9/11 had on them, the military and community

On September 11, 2001, four planes crashed on the east coast. Two planes flew into the World Trade Center. One plane skipped off of the ground before hitting the Pentagon. The last plane crashed in an open field in Pennsylvania. Almost 3000 people died. Thousands more were hurt. Millions were impacted.

One question we often ask each other is “Where were you on September 11?” For some of us, that moment was a day in the military. I think its interesting to see how much the world has changed after that tragic day. So, I curated a set of audio clips from the podcast where guests comment on where they were on 9/11 or how the military around them changed due to the attacks.

Featured audio from:

Jared Lyon

Kayla Williams

John Lee Dumas

Skye Marshall

Blayne Smith

At the end of the day, today, Patriots Day, is about remembrance. The story that sticks out to me from the podcast regarding 9/11 came from Army Veteran Dee McWilliams, who briefly shared how the attack at the Pentagon directly affected her, when she lost 36 friends and colleagues.

We will never forget those we lost. We will never lose our gratitude for those who responded to save others that day. And we will always remember to appreciate those who decided to serve and protect our freedom, inspired by that tragic day.

I hope you all had safe Patriots Day and found your own personal way to remember.

The #VApodcast is now available in iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Google Play, and Spotify. Search “Borne the Battle” in your podcast app of choice to subscribe.

Tags:

Author

Timothy Lawson

Timothy Lawson has been a member of VA’s Digital Media Engagement team since April 2016 and is the host of VA’s official podcast, Borne the Battle. He graduated from American University’s School of Communications in 2016 with a degree in Broadcast Journalism. Tim is a Marine Corps Veteran having served as a Marine Security Guard posted at embassies in Algeria, Russia, and Peru.

Comments

Why not one mention of what occurred at the Memphis VA? Provide the names of Doctors involved too.
We need to deal with them directly. A veteran lost a leg by amputation as the result of their ignorance.

Where can we find the Director of the VA hospital in Memphis who was in charge at the time?

For me 9/11 was a very bad day. I had been diagnosed with mental health issues due to Desert Storm but was doing well. That day I went back to deep anxiety and had to go back to my psychiatrist and psychologist for help. Thank God I was not hospitalized but it broke havoc in me although I already was a civilian. Eventually VA helped me back to gain stability in my mental health.